Shot in the Dark
by Shonashee
Summary: He never had a reason. Until he lost Maya. / / Dark!Phoenix based on the original character sketches for the crossover game.


**A/N: First time writing for Ace Attorney...or Professor Layton, but the main focus of this story is Nick and Maya.**

 **This was inspired by the original sketches from when PL vs. PW:AA was still being developed. Especially the sketches of dark!Phoenix, dark!Layton, and dark!Luke. There was no dark!Maya, which got this idea in my head. They never made it to the final product, but here's a little something I wanted to write anyway.**

 **The dark versions of the characters are, in my head, more of the Storyteller's puppets or creations or whatever. I haven't played the actual game yet, so I don't know how it would fit exactly, so feel free to come up with your own theory.**

 **Disclaimer~ I don't own Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. Or Professor Layton. Or the crossover. Sad, isn't it? Got no penny to my name.**

* * *

 _Maya had been gone for too long now._

 _How long was too long?_

 _He already decided a while ago he couldn't live without her. Yet he gave her the freedom he knew she needed. He let her go home, back to her small, isolated, too far village only because he knew that she would always come back._

 _But now, she would never return._

* * *

When Phoenix heard about the other him, he was intrigued. His new acquaintance, Professor Layton, had been interested in his counterpart as well, but the renown archeologist had opted to wait until their infamous other versions decided to show themselves. Apparently, trouble would come searching for them.

Phoenix couldn't agree more.

Yet, he wanted to search out this other him. He wasn't absolutely sure what he'd do afterward, but he was definitely looking forward to giving this poser a piece of his mind. At the same time, however, he wondered if the possibility of another him was real. After all, they were in a town where witches supposedly existed as well. But this other him, if he was real...how alike would they be? How different?

Judging from the rumors he had heard so far, very different.

* * *

 _He remembered the night he let her go back to visit her village. He should have known better than to let her go, knowing the enemies he had made over the last couple years. Yet, he let her go._

 _It made her happy after all, and if she was happy, to him, that was all that mattered._

 _But he didn't expect the 'accident' - the train supposedly having an engine malfunction and bursting into flames right on the tracks. All the passengers making it out except for two._

 _He doesn't think it was a coincidence that those two were Maya and a former client of his._

 _A client who he was supposed to defend, but knowing his true colors, couldn't._

 _He wonders when that man was let out, but he soon finds out. Of course the perversion and depravity of the system would allow such a despicable human to walk free if they got their own loot in exchange. And of course, the first thing on his agenda was revenge on the lawyer who got him in such a place._

 _And what better revenge than taking said lawyer's 'precious item'?_

* * *

"Hey, Maya?" Phoenix said, looking down at the girl walking beside him. "Isn't it odd how we've heard of this other me, other Layton, and even other Luke, but not you?"

Maya's face scrunched up for a second in thought, before she puffed up her cheeks.

"Hey, you're right!" she exclaimed. "I bet the other you is just a phony and taking all the credit for other me's work! We all know who the true brains of the operation is."

He couldn't help but chuckle a little at her innocence, despite the groan he wanted to pull off. "I'm pretty sure that's not it."

"Well, what else could it be?" Maya said. "The other me is _dead_?"

Even though it had been meant as a joke, the defense attorney couldn't help but feel a sense of dread at her words. From that moment on, he decided to walk a little closer to her.

* * *

 _Layton's reason was Claire. Layton's beloved, and once she was taken in the name of science, he couldn't ignore the demoralized ways of the world, and especially those who were on top._

 _Luke's reason was Layton. Luke's mentor, and wherever the master would go, the apprentice would follow, as he saved him from the suffocating throes of his old town where he saw firsthand as the mayor's son how little someone could care for their people._

 _He never had a reason._

 _Until he lost Maya._

 _Maya was the only one to stand beside him through everything. She hadn't come into his life until he was near his mid-twenties and she had only been with him for about four years, yet she had put more faith in him than anyone. Every case he took, he knew she was with him, either physically or in spirit._

 _But she had been taken from him. And he could never forgive that man._

 _And especially never forgive the government that let him roam free._

 _So he killed and fled, all the way to this little town to use as a hidey-hole._

* * *

"Nick..."

Phoenix didn't look up from the map he was looking over with the Professor. They were currently near the edge of the woods, taking a short break as they figured out their next stop.

"Can it wait, Maya?" he said. "We're kind of trying to figure out this map which is not a puzzle for on-"

"I see him," Maya whispered.

This time, Phoenix did look up.

"Him? Who's him?"

He followed his assistant's line of sight and drew a sharp breath.

* * *

 _Her laughter._

 _Maya's laughter._

 _He could swear he heard it. He had heard it many times before, in the middle of the night when he couldn't sleep or when the silence of being without her would become too suffocating. He heard her laughter time and time again._

 _But this time, it was different._

 _It was her actual laughter, loud and contagious and filled with her little snorts every now and then._

 _It didn't mock him for not protecting her. It didn't make him wonder what kind of defender he was if he couldn't save the person closest to him. It didn't make him want to tear out his hair and sink to the ground, drowning himself in self-pity._

 _It made him feel alive again._

 _So he went, jumping over the roofs of buildings and running across bridges, until he finally found her at the edge of the woods._

 _And suddenly, she was the only one he could see._

* * *

"Guess trouble came looking for us, after all…" Phoenix muttered.

Everyone in their group had turned to face the newcomer. Luke subconsciously moved behind the Professor, and Phoenix stood up from his position on a log, ready to run and protect Maya at the first sign of trouble.

His doppelganger approached them, taking swift, long steps. This other him didn't seem like he was out to hurt them. In fact, he didn't seem like he was paying much attention to them at all.

That's when Phoenix realized why. His double's attention wasn't on any of them because it was on Maya.

In an instant, he was in front of his assistant.

* * *

 _Maya. Maya. Maya._

 _It was an endless chant that went through his mind with every step he took, closer to the person who had been his reason, his strength._

 _He was so close, he only had a few steps left to take and-_

 _He froze. He came face to face with another man._

 _No, not another man._

 _That face...was the same face he saw everyday when looking into the mirror._

 _He had heard the rumors of course. But it was too strange to wrap his head around. There was too much to process._

 _Except...this him...was different. His eyes were less tired, less crazed._

 _But that didn't matter. What mattered was that he was getting in between him and Maya._

* * *

The other, darker version of him snarled.

" _Move,"_ he said. " _I need to see Maya."_

Maya, who was behind him, the real (he refused to be considered anything but) Phoenix, immediately stiffened.

"Nick…" she whimpered. "What does he-?"

"Shh," Phoenix hushed her, reaching back to grab her hand and give it a short squeeze. "Don't worry, I got this."

* * *

 _That insolent…!_

 _Who did he think he was, touching her?_

 _He was...he was...he was himself._

 _Of course he was himself. He was Phoenix Wright._

 _But more than that, this other him hadn't lost her. The other him hadn't lost Maya._

 _He had. There was no hope for him._

* * *

" _Tch,"_ the other him turned away, shoulders shaking. " _I always wondered what I'd do if I saw you again. But...I don't think I deserve to see you again, after all."_

"Nick, what's he talking about?" Maya said, trying to push past Phoenix. He hesitantly let her past, but kept his hand on her shoulder so he could still pull her back if need be.

"I don't know," the defense attorney replied, trying to keep the smaller girl close to him.

" _He kept you safe...I couldn't,"_ his double's shaking got more intense. " _I'm so, so sorry, Maya."_

Maya wrenched free of Phoenix's grip. She put her hand on the other him's arm and gave him a hesitant smile.

"It's okay, really," she said, even though she had no idea what she was talking about.

* * *

 _He couldn't bring himself to look at her anymore._

 _But he couldn't help himself._

 _She really had no idea what he was talking about, did she?_

 _Why else was she giving him that look with her big doe eyes? Why was she so concerned for the one who had let her go?_

 _He didn't deserve this from her._

 _True, this other Maya didn't go through the same things his Maya had, but what was the difference? He hadn't failed this Maya, but surely, she would have some resentment?_

 _But she didn't. Because her Phoenix had never failed her._

 _He wasn't her Phoenix. She wasn't his Maya. They were a world apart._

* * *

When his assistant finally returned to his side, Phoenix couldn't help but stare at the man in front of them. The mask that covered his eyes, and at the same time his heart. But before he could examine his character further, his doppelganger turned around and started walking away.

" _I won't get in your way. Do as you like. But don't...don't ever let her go...it will be the biggest mistake you ever make."_

* * *

 **A/N: Well, hopefully I broke your heart. Thanks for putting up with me, and please favorite, follow, and REVIEW!**


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